chapter 70

Author's POV "Thalir, come on! I’m right here to catch you, so don’t be scared. Stand up, hold onto the wall firmly, and jump. You’ll sit on the wall, and from there, it’ll be easy. I’ll climb up, jump to the other side, and catch you when it’s your turn to get down. Focus, don’t be scared. Take a deep breath—you can do this," Aadhavan encouraged her, his voice calm yet persistent.“It’s scary!” Thalir protested, her voice trembling. “It’s drizzling, my hands are wet—what if I slip and can’t hold onto the wall? No, no, no... I can’t do it.”Thalir sat on Aadhavan’s shoulders, her legs dangling on either side. She was too terrified to stand. Aadhavan sighed, trying to suppress his frustration. He wanted to motivate his wife, but her fears held her back.“Thalir... let’s try one last time, okay? Hold my hand, di,” he coaxed gently.After a moment’s hesitation, Thalir summoned all the courage and trust she had in her husband. She gripped his hand tightly.“Now, place your other hand on the wall,” he instructed. She obeyed, though her movements were cautious and shaky.“Try to stand up... remember, I’m here. I’ll hold you. Just try,” Aadhavan assured her, his steady tone a pillar of support.Thalir took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and braced herself, placing her full faith in her husband. Slowly, she tried standing on his shoulders. The rain had dampened his T-shirt, but he had deliberately chosen one with a thick fabric and thread patterns for better grip. Thalir leaned most of her weight onto the wall, careful not to pressure him too much. The ground beneath him was slippery, his slippers abandoned for better footing. One wrong move and both of them would fall back.Finally, Thalir stood upright on his shoulders, shaky but triumphant. Aadhavan cheered, his enthusiasm drawing a shy smile from her lips. Yet, the hardest task still lay ahead.“All right, now let go of my hand, hold the wall's edge firmly, and jump,” Aadhavan said.Thalir’s eyes snapped open, her gaze fixed ahead. Her head was now above the wall’s level, and she could see the other side clearly. The wall came up to her shoulders. She inhaled deeply, whispered a prayer to every deity she could think of, and prepared to jump.But as she steadied herself, a sudden lightning strike illuminated the surroundings, and Thalir froze. Her head turned back sharply, her eyes wide in astonishment. On her sister’s balcony, dimly lit but unmistakable, she spotted something—or someone. In that fraction of a second, her mind reeled. She blinked repeatedly, rubbed her eyes, and leaned forward for a better look. What she saw made her mouth fall open in shock.“Fuck!”“What now?” Aadhavan asked, his confusion growing as he looked up at Thalir. Her head was turned sharply to the side, her gaze fixed on something with intense focus.“Yei, Imsa!” he called out, trying to get her attention. She didn’t respond.“Imsa, focus! Jump now!” he urged.“Forget that, Aadhava. I’m watching a free show here,” she replied, her tone casual yet engrossed.“What?” “Oh, my lucky akka…” she murmured, leaving him even more bewildered.“Adiyei! How did Thulir come into this now?” he asked, thoroughly confused.“I don’t know when, but I just saw it a moment ago—right after the lightning,” she explained, her words tumbling out in excitement.“Imsa, what are you rambling about? What did you see?” he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.“What I saw? No, what I’m seeing now… This is pure fantasy—my akka living her dream!” she exclaimed.“Ehhhhh?” Aadhavan’s confusion reached its peak.“This is just perfect! Wow—The place, the weather, the wind, her saree flowing beautifully, her long hair falling down, their position—it’s straight out of a romantic book! Give me my phone! I need to capture this moment. I swear I’m going to tease her endlessly about this. I’m not missing this chance!” Thalir declared.Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, Aadhavan turned his head to see what had captivated her so entirely. And that was it—the moment that sealed their fate. Distracted by the sight before them, both ended up losing their balance and crashing down onto the muddy ground below. The wet earth splattered around them as they landed with an audible thud, groaning in pain.Despite the fall, Aadhavan’s quick reflexes ensured he took the brunt of the impact, landing first to cushion Thalir’s fall. She landed on top of him, her weight pressing him into the mud. Both were sore and aching, but Aadhavan’s annoyance didn’t stop him from wondering aloud.“What the hell were you even looking at?” he asked, the frustration in his voice competing with the groans of pain."You saw it, didn’t you?" Thalir teased with a mischievous smile, completely ignoring their muddy predicament.Aadhavan glared at her, giving her a quick smack on the leg that made her yelp. "Owwwww!" she cried, pouting.“Mothala enthiri dii mela irunthu!” he snapped, frustrated. Thalir, instead of standing, leaned back against him, as if she had all the time in the world.“Adiyeii, stand up! I’m lying here in the mud, and I hate it. I’m not staying like this and definitely not answering your silly questions!” he warned.Thalir, as always, ignored him. Her grin widened as she looked around and asked, “Do you think they saw us?”Aadhavan sighed, his patience thinning. “The place is empty now, but I think they did.”“So, we’re definitely facing angry Thulir and frustrated Agathiyan now?” he muttered."Of course," Thalir said confidently. Aadhavan facepalmed.She noticed someone walking toward them—it was Agathiyan. Thalir stood up quickly, while Aadhavan tried to stand but ended up falling back into the mud. Just as he was struggling, Agathiyan kicked him in the back without saying a word. Aadhavan groaned in pain, and Thalir gasped, looking at Agathiyan with wide eyes.Now completely covered in mud, Aadhavan sat there looking at his angry brother. He knew that explaining would only make things worse, and Agathiyan would ensure the fracture that was missed in the fall would occur, so he stayed quiet and raised his hand toward Agathiyan. Agathiyan rolled his eyes but grabbed his hand, ready to help. But, when Aadhavan tried to pull him down as well, Agathiyan let go, and Aadhavan fell back into the mud, landing hard on his bum."Ooooowwwwww!" Aadhavan cried out.Thalir winced and walked over to help. She offered her hands to her husband, but her husband had other ideas; he pulled her into the mud as well. Now smeared in mud, Thalir hit him and teased him angrily.Agathiyan just shook his head in disbelief."What the hell is happening here?" Thulir yelled, making Thalir freeze mid-taunt and silencing Aadhavan's giggles instantly.Thulir had just walked in on the pair, now completely covered in mud and behaving like children. Thalir flashed an awkward, sheepish smile."Akkkaaaaawww," Thalir called out sweetly, trying to charm her way out. Thulir rolled her eyes, then turned to look at her husband, who was struggling to stifle his amusement. Throwing his hands up in frustration, he gave up entirely and walked back toward the house.Thulir, understanding his unspoken message, shifted her gaze back to the couple. No, correction—she glared.Thalir, sensing trouble, raised her hand for her sister's help. But Thulir, not one to fall for such tricks, folded her arms firmly across her chest. Caught red-handed, Thalir gave her best toothy, fake smile. Meanwhile, Aadhavan, unable to resist, chuckled quietly—only to clamp his mouth shut when Thulir's stern glare landed on him.With a shake of her head and a sigh, Thulir silently expressed her disbelief"I hope no bones are broken, and you both can manage to stand up and come inside. But if you’d rather stay in the mud like pigs, that’s fine too—I just wanted to check you’re both still alive," she said before turning away to leave.The couple scrambled to their feet and followed her. Thalir, intending to hug her sister, stepped closer, but Thulir stopped her in her tracks with a raised eyebrow. That was enough.As the trio entered the hall, the room lit up, and they noticed Jayadev walking toward them. Agathiyan was already seated on the sofa, reclining leisurely. But the moment he saw his father-in-law, he stood up and offered a small, polite smile. Jayadev narrowed his eyes at him before turning to the couple, both covered in mud. Before he say anything "Appaa, why are you up now? If you stay awake all night, when will you rest? You’ve been running around with your grandkids all day, forgetting your age and health. And now you can’t sleep? Are your legs hurting, or do you feel unwell? What happened?" Thulir questioned him right away. Her tone was strict, but the worry on her face was clear as she stepped closer to him. Jayadev couldn’t stand to see his daughter so concerned."Papa...I’m fine. I just came to fill some water, that’s all. And your appa isn’t that old, okay?" he said with a reassuring smile. Both his sons-in-law exchanged amused glances."But water, appa? I already kept two jugs in your room," Thulir said, ignoring his comment about being young."They’re there, ma. I just came to get some hot water for Gowri. Uyir specifically said no cold water for kids in this weather, and Gowrima catches colds easily," Jayadev explained patiently. Thulir’s expression softened; she seemed mostly convinced."Ohh...okay, paah. But we’re still going to the hospital tomorrow for a full-body checkup. Ammu told me you’ve been feeling tired often, and please, stop running around with your grandkids all day. You’re a heart patient, and I hate having to remind you of that every time, paah," she said with a sigh. The memory of seeing her father in a hospital bed still haunted her. She hated bringing up his health issues but couldn’t ignore how hard it was to accept that her superhero was aging, struggling with breathing after too much physical exertion.Seeing the turmoil in his daughter’s eyes, Jayadev pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her forehead."I’m okay, da ma. Don’t stress yourself thinking about me, okay? And tomorrow, we’ll take your mother for a checkup too," he said with a lighthearted chuckle.Thulir managed a small laugh, exhaling as she smiled at him. Jayadev smiled back before breaking the hug and heading toward the kitchen to fetch the hot water. On his way, he turned and said, "Are you two going to stay like that or what? Go clean yourselves. No, wait...Thangama, I’ll bring another bottle of hot water and a tablet for you if you feel unwell, take that, okay."His last words were directed at his younger daughter, his concern for her evident in his voice.When Jayadev went to the kitchen without acknowledging his sons-in-law, it left the brother duo a bit confused. Thulir sighed, picked up the water bottle from the table, sank into the sofa, and drank some water, settling comfortably.Moments later, Jayadev returned, handed a water bottle to Thalir, wished everyone a casual good night, and headed toward his room. His daughters promptly wished him back, but the brothers-in-law exchanged puzzled looks."That's it?" Agathiyan mumbled. Aadhavan shrugged in response. Hearing this, Jayadev turned back, raising his eyebrows at them."You two were expecting something else?" he asked.Caught off guard, they glanced at each other and awkwardly nodded both yes and no. Jayadev chuckled, while their wives glared daggers at them."Now that you both have daughters, and they’re growing up, my job is done. Your turn will come soon enough. Considering Agathiyan’s double trouble, I’m letting you both off this time. Just be ready for what’s waiting for you in the future," Jayadev said with a mischievous smirk.His words hit their mark as the brothers’ eyes widened in alarm. The reality of Jayadev’s statement dawned on them like a cold splash of water. Agathiyan, in particular, seemed utterly petrified. The thought of boys pulling the same antics he had once pulled for and with Thulir—a scenario involving his own daughters—was enough to send shivers down his spine."Apppa," Thulir warned, her voice firm. Jayadev immediately raised his hands in mock surrender."I’m not complaining about my darling daughters, papa. I’m just giving these two a heads-up about the boys who’ll eventually have eye on their daughters. My daughters are angels," Jayadev said in a sugary tone. He turned to his sons-in-laws and asked, "What say, mapplaingala? Aren’t my daughters angels?"Without hesitation, the duo shook their heads vigorously in disagreement. Jayadev, satisfied with their reaction, smirked knowingly. His job was done—he could leave the rest to his angel daughters. Throwing the brothers-in-law a pitying glance, he left for his room with a sense of triumph.